And the hair is.....

GONE!

Closer to a Sarah Harding look (ok, and no denying it...Justin Bieber...why oh why is a teenager ruling the hair world?) than Mae Whitman. But. it is ME and I love it! It is definitely more manageable and still long enough in the middle and on the right side to play with. WOOHOOOOOO

Did I mention I LOVE it? We have lots of events coming up this week - including Maddy's FIRST birthday, a wedding at the end of the week, and a trip to Pittsburgh so I am sure we will be snapping more photos soon. 

Thanks to those who voted. My prediction was actually not totally correct -though no guys voted for me to cut my hair (except for one who wanted someone to join him in the bald -before-30 club haha), there were actually a few chicas who voted to keep it long. 

Most importantly, thank you to Michaela at Transformations Salon in Ithaca, NY. Just wrote up a Yelp review so if you are in Ithaca and are in need of a great stylist, check it out. Michaela certainly has my endorsement!

Summer Goals Revisted

It's the first day of fall and that means it is time to take a quick look back at the summer and revisit summer goals! I thought it would be fun to also reflect and see what I learned through these experiences since the idea was to get me going with some things.

Ok, here it goes:

1. Nightly/Daily walks - Maddy and I have come close to doing daily walks here in Ithaca. However, the nightly walks have not happened. We have, however, visited Taughannock, Treman, and Buttermilk parks here already, walked around Beebe lake, and walked around the campus. Not too bad! I have picked flowers once at the Little Tree Orchards here while my parents visited. But, did not end up pressing any of them.

What I learned: I love taking walks! And I love taking them in while the leaves are turning especially.Since arriving in August, the leaves have quickly begun to turn and the air has become much cooler rapidly. The crisp, musky air envelops my senses and the sight of vibrant colors beginning to peak through the green veil..sigh...I have missed them!

2. Letter 1x per week - I have not written a letter 1x per week. I did however write several cards in the last few days of being in SF, and have written a smattering of cards here and there since I arrived (thank yous, I'm thinking about you, etc) so I am going to count this. I also like this idea while here in Ithaca and far away from those we love, so I'm going to spill it over into my fall goals.

What I learned: My handwriting needs some serious work...and I don't write letters nearly enough. I actually really enjoy it!

3. Picnic in Golden Gate park - I did this TWICE!! Woohoo! First time was with our friends Ryan and Leah where we had delicious Arguello Market sandwiches (oh how I miss you turkey and cranberry sandwich!) and talked for a while while basking in the gorgeous sun at the Conservatory of Flowers. So lovely - and we miss you Yokes! Second was with my dear friend Erin (who was visiting at the time), the wonderful Lockes, and the amazing Mercados. It was my last time seeing the Mercados (sigh, we miss you guys so much!) But, it was also a gorgeous day and there I again enjoyed a delicious sandwich from Arguello Market. After that, Erin and I headed back to the Lockes where we hung out for a while...I think we were super tired because the Lockes, Jeanne, and I had gone out for the late showing of Harry Potter the night before. SO good!

What I learned: The best riddle I've heard in a while..."You walk into a room and see a man shot in the head and bicycles all around. What happened?"

4.Plant herbs - This, I am not planning to do because I purchased and planted some indoor plants here.

Two things I learned:
a. DO NOT purchase soil from Walmart. Or at least not the one here. Their bags of soil are filled with these gnats that eat your plants and lay 10,000 eggs a day (oh joy!) in the soil and these feast on the pants' roots. These have killed my ivy plant already and forced me to get some new potting soil from Lowes (during which we had our East Coast earthquake).

b. DO purchase Natria - a spray that helps kill pests such as aphids (which I am now battling on one of my plants). Anyway, all that said, I have learned a great deal about dealing with these pests on a budget and my planting budget is shot for now. But, aside from the ivy, the plants are doing nicely - hopefully this will continue!

5. Learn 12 new dinners - Done and done - with one EXTRA for good measure. I really actually can't believe I finished this because I had completed ZERO once we arrived in Ithaca. Here are the 13 new dinners in the Ludwinski household.

- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

- Chicken stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach with vodka sauce and pasta

- Pan-cooked Chicken with Spinach

-Basil Steak and Rosemary Chicken Kabobs on the grill

-Chicken and Asparagus Pasta with Butternut Squash sauce made from scratch

-Eggplant Parmesan
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Homemade Potato Soup
- Beef and Veggie stir-fry with Japanese rice noodles and homemade sauce
- Tilapia with Dill sauce and Asparagus
- Chili made with left overs
-Shells stuffed with Ricotta, Moz, Beef, and Spinach

Side note: Dan suggested I post the recipes for my readers and when I said not many people read this he said, "I read it!", to which I replied, "Ok, I'll post the recipes and then you can make our dinners" haha. Score!

I will post the recipes later.

Things I learned: I actually enjoy the challenge of spending as little as possible on good, healthy food! Stay tuned for a possible recipe series..The Cheapest Food Challenge - healthy recipes from Nicole and Ashley as they try to save more money than the other.

6. Homemade gifts - I only made one and this was a page of "advice" for my dear friends Lindsay and Brian who got married in New Hampshire a few weeks ago. The page went into a book that was filled with love and well wishes from the friends who attended their wonderful celebration. Their wedding was SPECTACULAR - just gorgeous and a wonderful day. I do have to say though, we awoke the next day to find that Maddy had removed her diaper and smeared poop all over her pack n play. OH. MY. GOODNESS. It smelled SO badly and took us 1.5 hours (no joke) to clean up thoroughly. Did I mention we were guests at the parents of the bride's house? Oh yes, indeed. I did tell Lindsay the whole story because I knew she'd get a laugh out of it - hopefully no remnants remained to tell the tale to others....

What I learned (through the reason for the homemade gift): Make sure Maddy wears something so she can't get to her diaper in the morning!

7. No jeans/pants week - Done and documented!

What I learned: I'm SO glad I live in this century where I can wear pants and jeans!!

8. Read 5 books - Working on it still. So far, I have read:

- "Bossypants" - Tina Fey

- Ruth

This will have to spill into my fall goals.

What I learned: I'm a slow reader in general, but when I am not enthralled by a story line, I dread reading. Therefore, it is easier just to watch TV or waste time on other things instead of reading. I need a designated time to read each day or I will just put it off indefinitely - I think nap time is a good place to start.

9. 1 sewing project - I have it picked out and ready to go! Still going to have to roll that over into fall.

What I learned: Sewing is not something I can just do...I like using patterns and being precise, so while it an be a hobby, it is not something that I can just pick up at any time and enjoy. I can get through a project and then need a break for a long while before returning to another.

10. No TV/Hulu 2x per week - not even close on this one. This is going to roll over into fall!

What I learned: I need to find some good books!

11. Design and get Tattoo - Done and documented! Woohoo! (and I still love it!)

What I learned: I really love having tattoos and hearing about tattoos that tell a story..and since having a kid, this one did not hurt nearly as much. I'm not saying that I will come home with sleeves of tattoos now. But, I certainly enjoy commemorating such incredible events in life and being able to tell others about them.

So there you have it. A relatively productive and busy summer come to a close. With that I have to say, Welcome back into my life, Fall. I'm so glad to see you again.

How to keep your science info sharp while raising a kid.....

Create a song!

So, I had this assistant teacher in 7th grade science (shout out to USC middle school IB people!) I don't remember his name...maybe Mr. Wyncoup?) He taught us this song about DNA to help us during a science test. I have remembered it since that day and have used it during everything from chemistry tests to science lessons for my own middle schoolers:

(Sing to "Row, row, row, your boat")

We love DNA made of nucleotides

Sugar, phosphate, and a base bonded down the side

Adenine and thymine make a lovely pair

Cytosine without guanine would be very bare

Ok, totally dorky, but come on..with an affinity for music this is.....awesome!

So, in that vein, here is my stab at a less catchy tune for the heck of it while I was feeding Maddy today. No, not trying to indoctrinate her. But, honestly, there is only so much "Ah ah apple" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" I can take! So before she has a say, time to sing some things to test myself too haha....then maybe if she ever decides she would like to study science, this stuff will be helpful. Or not...who knows ;)

Anyway..here it goes:

(Sing to bluesy tune like..."Pittsburgh's Goin' to the Super Bowl"(YES!) just realized the tune...just go up and down that scale...and oh yeah, we are going to the SB by the way ;P)

Yummy yummy yogurt oh it tastes so good

Good bacteria and milk make this excellent food

Receptors on our tongue work with electrical power

Sending signals to the brain to tell us yogurt is sour

Haha, this is fun! Now to go play with my daughter =)

On Creativity

Here is another TED talk I just watched....

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, on nurturing creativity.

Thoughts on this to follow tomorrow - I am no creative genius, but have to say, this spoke to me today regarding my struggle against thinking accomplishments determine my self-worth.

Vulnerability

Here is a TED talk that a dear friend just shared with me last night.

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

I definitely struggled to dismiss this talk when I first watched it, thinking that I of course was vulnerable and that I was living the way this woman professes to be important...no work for me to do here. Ack! Quite the contrary! Being in Ithaca these past few weeks have been both incredible and incredibly difficult. I've confronted some family issues, received heartbreaking news, seen triumph through that, traveled a total of 30 hours to share in the celebration of two wonderful weddings, watched as God provided my husband with a TAship at the eleventh hour (and gave us a stipend, free health insurance, and FREE tuition for the semester...WHAT?!!?), cuddled (or tried to cuddle) our daughter as she continues to work through SO many transitions, new teeth, weather changes, long car rides, and new scenery, visited with old friends from Hamilton, and...read through my transcript for the first time in 3.5 years.

Now, I know that the last is silly...and the fact that it would actually cause as much personal struggle as it did yesterday (and even today) is indicative of how much I need to process this talk and actually spend the time when I'm not taking care of Maddy opening up, reflecting, and learning, rather than deflecting with Hulu as I so often do. My GPA is not grand, my major GPA is even less grand, I've been applying for jobs here since May and even receptionist positions are alluding me. Not only these things, but I am feeling directionless in terms of career, motivation to attempt new things is nowhere to be found, and I feel like most of my time is spent doing things that I can view as burdensome and difficult - making meals, worrying about food allergies, changing diapers, interpreting cries, and trying not to feel guilty when putting our daughter down for a nap and she doesn't think she needs one.

When I think about the possibility of going back to school, some of my years at Colgate seem a waste - why oh why did I not pay more attention or spend more time in my science classes? Better yet, why oh why did I even jump into cellular studies without even considering my passions. When I think about how "low" I am now, it's easy to think that this has everything to do with my lack of effort. Ok, let's stop for a minute here. What's most frightening about that last statement? Not the thought that I didn't work my butt off in college and just had a rough go of some classes (and I didn't try as hard as I could in the first year too, that's true)...No, the more troubling thing to me is that I find myself struggling internally with this idea that what I am doing now is LOW. The idea that a person's value comes from her achievements alone is something I thought I had addressed long ago. What a laugh!

And where does this devaluation come from? Oh, I'm sure I could write a whole book series on the research that's been done around social dynamics and the push for women to not only be a mother, but also an individual that holds a 9-5 job and receives promotions, etc. But, I think the main issue I want to look into here is what causes me not to find JOY in what I'm doing now? Why am I struggling with rebellion from this lifestyle so much? And why now do I squander away my time so easily...and frequently?

Do I have answers? HECK no. Do I think this is going to be something that changes in the near future? Um, it would be nice, but no. I told Dan when we first started looking for jobs that I really thought I wasn't supposed to have one right now. I thought I was being lazy and just trying to convince myself that I didn't need to send in too many applications. But, several applications and no job later, I am realizing that my rebellion from being at home, taking care of my kiddo alone, and letting God take care of me while I watch my husband fulfill his DREAM (which is both exhilarating and challenging) is just what I need to be letting go, even though I really do not want to.

All this from a 3 hour conversation and a transcript last night. I have much more processing to do and I fear that these next posts will be my place for spouting out that processing. But, I promise to also include pictures and videos that are probably much more enjoyable for you all...like this:

I've been told TED talks are amazing and intend on starting to watch them more frequently instead of the trashy stuff I've been watching lately to pass time.

The Last Week

Since last week, Maddy has gained 10 oz, been to the pediatricians again, made it through a game of Battlestar Gallactica with friends, met the generous friends who have brought us meals and company, and continued to be a very chill baby girl. Here are some of the moments we captured this week.

Chilling on Dad's lap in her onesie from aunt Nicole and uncle Ben.

Wrapped up like a little burrito (a baby burrito) in her pack n play

On our way to the pediatrician's office on Friday (clean bill of health and LOTS of weight gained - woohoo!)

Some tummy time with mom.

Daddy posing Maddy for some pictures =)

Her favorite napping chair from the Maos. She LOVES this chair.

I think she was about to stretch, but this picture cracks me up!

Woke up on Sunday to find her beanie like this..haha!

Sigh...life is SO hard ;)

Checking out the new world of toys and mobiles with the boppy pillow play area.

Bath time on Sunday night.

More play time

Sleepy sleep time

Chilling on her tummy

CRAZY hair after Dad gave her a bath on Tuesday night.

I love this picture. =)

And this one is funny since it happened literally two seconds after the previous one!

Chilling with Mom on Wednesday morning -just checking each other out.

Our first bath, doctor's visit and skype with Oma and Opa

People from the church are coming by to bring us meals over the next couple of weeks - which we are incredibly grateful for! Tonight, our dear friends the Lockes - Kathy, Jeff, Jonas, and little Penny - brought us a meal consisting of a delicious squash and chicken soup. YUMM!
Jonas checking out our bunny. Jonas is a both excited to see the rabbit and scared of it..resulting in this incredibly cute dance of "hello bunny" poking his fingers in the cage to shrieking and running away
Jeff, Jonas, me and Maddy - thank you for the delicious meal and care Lockes =)

Talking to Oma and Opa in Wisconsin via Skype. We took a little while to figure out how it all worked and Maddy was REALLY hungry, so we had to try to stave off hunger with her binkie. It worked for a little while, but then it was FOOD TIME!
Tummy time on the quilt from Granny and Oma =)
Family picture before Joe came over to hang out.
Using out new stroller and the car seat...off to see Dr Simons for our first pediatrician's visit. Dr. Simons is AMAZING due to many factors, one of which is his office decor (according to Dan haha) which includes an electric train running around the top of the reception area.
First sponge bath...accompanied with the sound of spilling water off the side of the table..oh wait..that was Maddy peeing.
All clean =)